Belt massage machine with handle surrounding motor



Oct. 3, 1967 G. STOLL 3,344,782

BELT MASSAGE MACHINE WITH HANDLE SURROUNDING MOTOR Filed March 31, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 4. TH/Z 676/1 BY gw jw W ATTORNEY5 Oct. 3, 1967 cs. STOLL 3,344,782

BELT MASSAGE MACHINE WITH HANDLE SURROUNDING MOTOR Filed March 31, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY {W ATTORNEYS Oct. 3, 1967 cs. STQLL 3,344,782

BELT MASSAGE MACHINE WITH HANDLE SURROUNDING MOTOR Filed March 31, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 4,1, 774-61 5m;

- ATTQRNEYF United States Patent 3,344,782 BELT MASSAGE MACHINE WITH HANDLE SURROUNDING MOTOR Gottlieb Stoll, Hirschlandstrasse 125, Esslingen (Neckar), Germany Filed Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,116 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-63) The invention refers to a device for automatic massage and more particularly to a device of the aforesaid kind having a massaging belt looped in form of a U and fixed with its free ends to the ends of a driving shaft driven by a driving electric motor which is mounted on a carrier column rising from a base plate in vertical direction. Known devices of the aforesaid kind are wastefully built and therefore rather expensive, and they are not compact enough and unhandy when used.

It is the main object of the invention to provide a device of the aforesaid kind which is simple and inexpensive in construction.

A further object of the invention consists in to provide a device of the kind in question which is compact and requires as little space as possible.

Another object of the invention consists in to provide a device of the general character described with which the user can use the device without being hindered and impeded by any parts.

Still another object of the invention consists in to provide a device of the character in question which has a handle with the shape of a U and extending upwards.

Yet another object of the invention consists in to provide a device of the beforementioned kind having a column barrier carrying the said driving electric motor and consisting of two parts telescoped into each other, the height of the said carrier column being adjustable.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description thereof, particularly when the same is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective front view of a device for automatic massage in accordance with the invention,

FIG. 2 shows the device according to FIG. 1 in partly sectional front view, and

FIG. 3 shows a side view. of the device according to FIG. 2.

The device for automatic massage in accordance with the invention has a massage-belt looped in form of a U. The two free ends of it are fixed at the ends of a shaft 3 driven by an electric motor 4. This electric motor is accommodated in a case 5 closed on all sides and having the shape of a flat prism, the longitudinal axis 2 of said case running transversely to the longitudinal axis 20 of the carrier column 6 on the upper side of which there is situated the motor with the case. The carrier column 6 consists of two parts 6a, 6b telescoped into each other which are adjustable in the vertical direction in accordance with the arrow 7 and can be secured in any relative position that may be desirable. The lower end of the inferior part 6a of the post is secured to a base plate 8, whereas the upper end of the upper part 6b carries the case 5 of the driving motor 4. The two parts are fastened to each other by means of a clamp 9. The carrier column 6 stands in the middle area of the base plate in the vicinity of the backward border thereof, as demonstrated in FIG. 1. The advantage resulting from this arrangement is that the person making use of the apparatus is not hindered or impeded by any parts while applying it.

On the carrier column 6 there is fixed below the motor a handle 10 shaped approximately like a U and extending vertically upwards in the plane of the carrier column. To

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fix that handle to the post, it is convenient to use double attachment clamps 11, the rear part 11a of which is somewhat larger. In accordance wtih that arrangement the free ends of each leg 10b of the U are atfixed to the rear part 11a of the attachment clamp on the carrier column at 10a and the legs extend upward on both front sides of the motor and are connected with each other by a cross bridge 10c running in the longitudinal direction of .the motor case. With the handle being afiixed to the rear part of the attachment clamp there is not a single position thinkable where the massage belt should rub against the handle. On the upper side of the motor case is a switch 12 used to start the drive motor. The driving motor is single-phased with a low speed e.g. of about 900 revolutions per minute, driving the shaft directly without interposing an up or down gearing gear, whereby the construction becomes compact, thus economizing space. The two free ends of the driving shaft are provided with two eccentrics 13, 14 adjustable with respect to the driving shaft by angles which can be determined, for example, by means of a scale and which can be locked hereafter in their respective position.

The ends of the massage belt 1 are provided with oblongated holes 15 so that they can easily be connected with the respective eccentric. The obl-ongated holes have a portion with a diameter corresponding to that of the dies 16, 17, and a portion with a diameter corresponding to that of the shaft 3. As for the ends of the massage belt 1, they are fitted to the eccentric between the two parallel discs 16, 17.

The motor imparts to the massage belt via the eccentrics a vibratory motion which is used for the massaging process. The belt may be laid round the hips or applied to the muscular systems of the belly, the back or the legs. According to the body parts to be massaged, the belt to be applied must be larger or smaller. The fact that the device is adjustable in the vertical direction allows to adapt it to the stature of the user in question. The intensity of the effect and the degree of efiiciency can be varied by adjusting the connection between the massage belt and the eccentrics on the driving shaft. The handle allows the person using the device to get a solid stand during the procedure or even to lean back if necessary. The speed of the driving motor is thereby so chosen as to obtain the most favorable effect. The device is transportable without any difliculties and may be used in private households or in public places, if equipped with a coin operated device.

The fan 18 cools the motor. The electrical cable for operating the motor is shown at 19.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim 1. A device for automatic massage comprising in combination; a base plate; a carrier column rising in vertical direction from said base plate upwards; a driving electric motor carried by said carrier column; a case of prismatic shape containing said driving electric motor, the longitudinal axis of said case running in horizontal direction transverse to said carrier column; a driving shaft running in horizontal direction transverse to said carrier column, said driving shaft being arranged in operative relationship with said driving electric motor and being thereby driven by said electric motor; an eccentric on each end of the driving shaft; a massage belt having the shape of a U, the free ends of said belt being connected with the ends of said drive shaft by said eccentrics on said shaft ends; a handle carried by said carrier column contained in a plane parallel to the plane of said carrier column and displaced in rearward direction with respect to the central plane of the said carrier column, the handle having legs extending on both sides of said case in upward direction outside of the ends of the driving shaft and their free ends being connected to the carrier column at a level below the level of the driving shaft, the said legs being interconnected above the said case by a cross bridge, extending in the longitudinal direction of said case.

r 2. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the said handle is fastened to the said carrier column by means of double attachment clamps which embrace the carrier column from before and behind, said handle being aflixed to the said rear attachment clamp.

3. The device set forth in claim 1, including means for adjusting the height of the said driving electric motor on the said carrier column.

4. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the said driving motor is a single-phase motor with a low number of revolutions of about 900 per minute, the said driving electric motor directly driving the said driving shaft.

5. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein on the upper 7. The device set forth in claim 6, the said two parts being fixable to each other by means of a set screw.

8. The device set forth in claim 7, wherein the said carrier column is secured to the central area of the said 7 base plate in the vicinity of the rear border thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,769,568 7/1930 Goodrich 1286 2,068,992 1/1937 Larsh 128-63 2,314,981 3/1943 Heard 128-63 2,349,743 5/1944 Meyer l2832 2,860,630 11/1958 Christensen et al 12863 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

L. W. TRAPP, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MASSAGE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; A BASE PLATE; A CARRIER COLUMN RISING IN VERTICAL DIRECTION FROM SAID BASE PLATE UPWARDS; A DRIVING ELECTRIC MOTOR CARRIER BY SAID CARRIER COLUMN; A CASE OF PRISMATIC SHAPE CONTAINING SAID DRIVING ELECTRIC MOTOR, THE LONGITUKDINAL AXIS OF SAID CASE RUNNING IN HORIZONTAL DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID CARRIER COLUMN; A DRIVING SHAFT RUNNING IN HORIZONTAL DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO SAID CARRIER COLUMN, SAID DRIVING SHAFT BEING ARRANGED IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID DRIVING ELECTRIC MOTOR AND BEING THEREBY DRIVEN BY SAID ELECTRIC MOTOR; AN ECCENTRIC ON EACH END OF THE DRIVING SHAFT; A MASSAGE BELT HAVING THE SHAPE OF A U, THE FREE ENDS OF SAID BELT BEING CONNECTED WITH THE ENDS OF SAID DRIVE SHAFT BY SAID ECCENTRICS ON SAID SHAFT ENDS; A HANDLE CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER COLUMN CONTAINED IN A, PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID CARRIER COLUMN AND DISPLACED IN REARWARD DIRECTION WITH RESPECT TO THE CENTRAL 